Transit of Venus
by cassiemortmain
Summary: Modern AU - Dr Sybil Crawley and Tom Branson felt an instant attraction when they met in Hawaii after he was sent by National Geographic to write an article with her. What has happened since then? New chapter, rated M.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note_

A Sybil x Tom modern AU one shot - my contribution to the Rock the American AU S/T challenge on Tumblr! As always, I'd love to know what you think.

* * *

"Knock knock - Dr Crawley?"

Sybil looked up, and found herself wishing she had chosen her clothes more carefully that morning, or at least put on a bit of mascara. In front of her was a blue eyed man with a gorgeous accent, rapping on the glass pane in her already open office door – who was he?

"Um, yes, and you are...?" "Tom Branson, National Geographic. I think you were expecting me?"

"Sure, that's right, but I didn't know you were coming in today, someone was meant to let me know."

Tom let out a laugh that sounded like liquid gold, making Sybil want to hear him laugh again. "That sounds about right – sorry about that. We've had some staff changes in our admin team and I guess someone must have forgotten to call you. Do you want me to come back another time?"

"Oh no," Sybil said, a bit too eagerly to her ears, "No, it's fine. Won't you come in?"

Tom crossed over to her – "Good to meet you, Dr Crawley." Sybil stood up and came out from behind her desk to shake his hand. Something strange happened at that moment – she could have sworn that she felt some kind of spark jump between them as their eyes met directly for the first time, and she found herself dropping her eyes first, breaking his gaze. To her embarrassment she felt a flush rising up her cheeks.

Tom wasn't lacking in empathy and he could see he made Sybil feel a bit awkward. He wasn't sure why, though – surely a stunner like her would already be dating some rich, handsome guy? She couldn't be attracted to him, could she? He found himself hoping against hope that she was – he could not remember the last time he had met someone he was so instantly drawn to as this beautiful woman with long, wavy dark hair cut with a fringe, and a gorgeous figure, partly obscured by her casual cargo shorts and loose grey t-shirt but in a way which left him wanting more...

Realising that neither of them had said a word for what felt like a long time, Tom cleared his throat. "I'm not sure how much the magazine told you about the brief for the article. Shall we go to get a coffee or something, and I can tell you about it?" "Sure, we can do that. Staff canteen is just down the hall - they have a Starbucks there."

Sybil pulled the door shut behind them, and found herself looking at Tom as he headed down the corridor ahead of her. "Now that is an arse I won't forget in a hurry!" she thought, before she could stop herself. She quickened her pace to catch up with him – "Turn right, and it's the second door on the left." Tom turned at the sound of her voice and they nearly collided as Sybil came up behind him – "Sorry about that, Dr Crawley – didn't see you there." "Call me Sybil, please! Dr Crawley makes me feel as if you think I am about 60." Tom smiled back at her – "No danger of that, I assure you."

They got their coffees and when he ordered a vanilla latte she couldn't help joking – "When you are ready for an actual cup of coffee, let me know! Don't you know Hawaii is famous for it?" - as she ordered a double espresso. "Want something to eat? How about a bear claw – we could split it?" She nodded – sweet, sugary pastry sounded good for afternoon tea after her hectic morning. "Why don't you sit down, Sybil? I've got these."

She headed over to a table by the window, watching as he charmed the bejesus out of the barista, a pretty blonde undergrad. As the girl giggled and twisted the end of her braid around her fingers, batting her long eyelashes suggestively at Tom as she did so, Sybil found herself with an unfamiliar emotion. The green eyed monster tapped her on the shoulder – "Hey stranger, long time no see!"

She was glad when he plonked himself down in the seat opposite her, and they started to chat about the article. She picked up the bear claw and tore it in half, and he looked at her as she unconsciously put her fingers in her mouth to lick off the sugar, thinking – "God, that is really hot!" – and tried to get himself thinking about something else.

"So the good news is that the magazine is paying for us to spend a couple of nights over at a resort on the Kona Coast – I read that the sea turtles come right up to the beach and swim with the guests, and they want me to write a little fluffy sidebar. Always helps the average punter get into the story a bit more if there is a human interest angle to go with the sciencey stuff."

"Oh really? They didn't mention that ... when are we meant to be going?"

Tom gave a rueful smile – "We really did mess up, didn't we? There's a car coming to pick us up in about ten minutes at the front of the building – we can stop at your place along the way so you can pick up some things, if that works?" Sybil thought for a second, and then said "Sure, what the hell. It's a connected world – I can always bring my laptop along and get my work done from Kona as easily as Hilo for a day or so – I don't have any classes to teach, luckily."

"You have yourself a deal, Sybil. Nearly done?" "Yes, all good – let's go." Sybil led the way back down the corridor, and this time it was Tom's turn to check her out. She could feel his eyes on her and somehow, she didn't mind at all. "At least if I go home, I can change my clothes and not look like such an academic nerd!" The car was ready for them when they arrived, and it only took a few minutes to get to Sybil's house – she normally walked to work and enjoyed the decompression time at the start and end of each day, although her American colleagues (who all loved their cars) didn't get it at all. "Hang on a minute, won't be long."

She jumped out of the car, opened her front door and ran to her bedroom. Feeling as if she were getting ready for a date, before she realised what she was doing she had tried on and rejected two outfits. "Get a grip! Just choose something – he is going to wonder what the hell you are doing." She quickly pulled on dark jeans and a blue singlet top, and ran a comb through her hair, twisting it into a loose ponytail. Grabbing a few more clothes and toiletries for the next couple of days, she threw them into her backpack and was ready to go.

Sybil couldn't help feeling excited as she opened the car door and climbed back in – it felt somehow as if she were embarking on an adventure, the kind of adventure she hadn't had since she had moved to Hawaii nearly a year before. She turned to Tom - although she didn't realise it, her eyes were sparkling and he found himself whistling inwardly. He just managed to restrain himself from doing any more than offer her his "cheeky chap" grin, which usually worked wonders with women. "All set?" She smiled – "Hit it!"

The car took the long road up and over the saddle between the volcanoes as Tom asked - "Shall we get started with the interview? Do you mind if I tape it – I prefer to take my notes later?" Sybil agreed and got quickly into the flow of talking about her work. He really enjoyed watching her while she spoke about marine biology. She was so obviously passionate about it, her face animated and her hands gesturing nonstop as she spoke about the turtles she had fallen in love with as a girl, growing up in Yorkshire devoted to nature shows.

"... so once I finished my doctorate at Plymouth, specialising in marine reptiles, I had the chance to do my post doc work and when this spot came up at UH I jumped at it. I mean, who would say no to Hawaii, right?" Sybil realised she was doing all the talking and tried to divert attention back to Tom – "Anyway, enough about me – what do you think of me? Just kidding! How about you – how did you end up at National Geographic?"

Tom flicked off the recording app on his iPad. They could pick this up later and right now he was much more interested in keeping this conversation going - he could not remember the last time he had enjoyed talking to someone so much. "I had a lucky break, really. I did my masters in journalism at Goldsmiths after a few years at a London paper, and had an American girlfriend there who had some connections in US magazines. She helped me get an interview for a job and I got it – it went from there." Sybil felt another tap on her shoulder – _girlfriend_? Tom went on – "It didn't work out with Lori but it did with the magazine – I've been there a while now and I really love it."

Their easy conversation continued as they came down the other side of the Big Island, leaving behind the lavish green of the Hilo side and descending into the moonscape beyond. "Nearly there now. We will have a fair bit of work to do in the next couple of days – want to relax for a bit first before we keep going with the interview?" "Sounds great... it's been a hectic week with my field work, and it would be nice to have a break for an hour or so. Let's meet for an early dinner later?"

Sybil saw the look on Tom's face – she thought he looked a bit disappointed and wondered why that was. Then she thought – "Did he want to relax _with me_? Oh bollocks! Sybil, you missed your chance there." She was afraid of seeming too keen if she changed her mind now, so once they had both checked in, she gave him an airy wave and headed towards the lift, seemingly without a care in the world.

A little while later, Tom opened his balcony door – "There are definitely some perks to working for this magazine! Look at that view!" He gazed out at the ocean which he could see right below him, watching the blue-green waves lap against the sand, reflecting the clear sky above. He was about to go back inside to get his book when he saw Sybil walking down to the beach with a towel in her hand. He couldn't stop himself watching as she found a sunny spot and dropped her sarong, revealing a striking crimson bikini, and he realised he'd underestimated her beauty earlier. "She is a bit of a sea princess, this one!"

She headed down to the water and slipped in straight away, clearly in her element as she swam strongly out towards the breakwater and back. Standing up in the shallow water, she looked around for the sea turtles which could be seen most days near the shoreline. Drops of salt water ran down from her hair, marking a trail on her body that Tom found himself wanting to follow with his tongue... He shook his head and went back inside, trying to do some research to take his mind off the dazzling vision he had just seen, but it seemed Sybil was burned into his brain – every time he blinked, she was there.

He was glad when it was time for him to head down to the restaurant. He looked around for her – "Tom, over here!" She was waving to him from an outside table, and he felt his heart start beating just a little faster as he walked towards her, seeing her gorgeous smile break out at the sight of him. She was radiant in the setting sun, her still damp hair framing her face with soft waves, and her strappy white broderie anglaise sundress complemented by the purple hibiscus she had tucked behind her right ear.

As the waiter took their order, Tom got out his iPad again, started the recorder app and settled back in his seat. While they talked, Sybil found herself losing her train of thought more than once, looking at his hair falling into his face and wanting to reach over and push it back. "Something is going on here that is more than just a meeting of the minds!" she thought, wondering if he felt the same way.

After their meal, she was picking up her bag when he suggested they take a walk down to the beach. "Good idea – I had a swim before and it is really beautiful down there." Strolling along the sand as evening melted into night, Sybil found herself switching into scientist mode, showing Tom the various features of the marine landscape that made the turtle habitat so perfect along this coast. He could see the excitement in her face and was reminded of the way she had looked in the car a couple of hours before. Now, he wanted to know if that passion for her work might translate into an equal passion for life...

He stepped slightly ahead of her, heading towards a grassy bank behind the beach which was capped by palm trees, and sat down. "Want to stay here for a bit? You were right – it is really beautiful here." She joined him and both of them were silent for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts as they breathed in the freshness of the ocean air. Then, she felt something brush against her fingers and looked down to see his hand touching hers, in a way that could easily be seen as an accident if she chose to interpret it that way...

It felt like forever since she had engaged in this dance, this "will he or won't he" feeling when she was attracted to someone and not sure if he felt the same way. Tom had made the first move now between them, and Sybil felt herself irresistibly drawn towards him, turning to meet his blue eyes which were almost black in the fading light. The look he gave her left her in no doubt that the touch of his hand on hers had not been an accident. She was mesmerised as his hand slid up her arm, slowly moving towards her shoulder. He started pulling her towards him then, eyes still locked on hers as his other hand came up to her face, tangling in the waves of her hair.

Tom's face was just an inch from hers when he paused for a moment, silently asking her if this was OK. By way of answer, Sybil's hand slipped around his neck – this was all the encouragement he needed to put his lips to hers, gently at first and then with quickly increasing passion. She felt herself lighting up like the tiki torches along the path to the sea as he pulled her closer, her skin charged with flares of light as he touched her. His tongue moved into her mouth and she sank more fully into his kiss, closing her eyes and tightening her arms around him as a moan escaped her throat...

He broke their kiss and looked into her eyes again. Both of them wanted more and knew it – and they were in the perfect place to act on their desires. Just beneath a nearby tree was a double beach chair that seemed very inviting all of a sudden. Without speaking he stood and held his hand to pull her up. Hands linked, they took the few steps to the shelter of the canopy, and lay down on the soft towels that covered the extended seat beneath it.

Tom's arms came around Sybil and he began to murmur to her about how beautiful she was and how much he wanted to be closer to her. She felt herself blushing at his words and felt glad that the night had now completely overtaken them, giving them some unexpected privacy in this beautiful place. As their lips met again both their hearts were racing - now, there was no holding back the passion that had sprung up between them the moment they met.

His lips traced along her jawline and down her throat to her shoulders. Pushing down the straps of her dress, he realised she wasn't wearing a bra under it as his hand found her breasts. Before long, their clothes were all on the sand beneath them, and Tom took his time exploring every inch of Sybil's body as he exposed it, kissing and stroking her enticing curves. He moved gradually lower, his fingers finding her molten core. His lips continued to plant a trail of kisses down her stomach and as his tongue found her clit and began to tease it, he slipped a finger inside her.

Sybil had never felt anything like the sensations that were flowing through her. Although she had always enjoyed sex before, somehow this particular aspect of lovemaking had not really excited her, but as Tom's tongue and lips continued their steady, relentless caresses and his finger was joined by another, stroking her inside and out, she felt a rising excitement begin to build that quickly escalated until it was almost unstoppable. He sensed this and pulled back from her a little, wanting to delay her orgasm to make it all the more intense, and then moved into her again. He did this over and over, taking her higher and higher each time, until her whole body was strung tighter than a bow – "Please, Tom, Oh God, please!"

At this, he knew he didn't want to hold back any longer and he stepped up the intensity of his touch until he felt her orgasm flood her body, her hips lifting up towards him and her hands grabbing his hair. She let out an inarticulate cry and then another as his tongue continued stroking her, and felt her whole body tremble under his hands as the waves of pleasure kept breaking over her. He lifted his head and moved back up her body. Quickly now, his cock hard and aching with urgent desire for her, he rolled on a condom and slid himself hard into her. He relished the amazing feeling of being inside her when she was still so fully aroused, feeling the flutters of her orgasm still lingering all around him. As he started to move, he felt her legs slip up around his, pulling him even more deeply into her, and it did not take long before he was close to his own climax.

He could see her face in the bright moonlight that streamed over them – her eyes were closed and she was biting her lip as those same overwhelming feelings from a few minutes before started to take over her body again. He thought he had never seen anything quite so beautiful as she looked at the moment when she came, even harder this time. He couldn't hold himself back any more then, and groaned deeply as his own orgasm exploded through him. He crashed back down on her, his breath slowly returning to normal...

Sybil's eyes opened. She saw Tom leaning up on one arm, looking down at her, and smiled. "What time is it?" "God knows, late I think." She pulled him down to her for a kiss, and their arms came around each other as the kiss quickly deepened. When they broke apart, he started to stand up – "Come on, I want to show you something." She followed him out of their little refuge, and the next thing she knew, he was picking her up and carrying her down to the beach. They didn't stop to put their clothes on - they were so wrapped up in each other, they didn't care if anyone was around to see.

He put her down on the sand, wrapped one arm around her, and pointed up to the sky – "Isn't that the evening star?" She nodded – "Yes, sure is – the brightest and most glorious star in the sky. Did you know it's really the planet Venus?" "Um, yeah, Dr Crawley," he joked. "I was looking at it before - it has nothing on you. God Sybil, you are so incredibly beautiful – you outshine the evening star." He put his arms around her and started to rock back and forth, singing to her softly ... "Someday, when I'm awfully low, and the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight..."

Sybil loved Tom's choice of song and the fact he was singing it to her moved almost to tears. She closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder and feeling his hands gently stroke up and down her back. They kept dancing on the beach, picked out by Venus' glowing beam of light, feeling so lucky to have found each other out of all the millions of people in the world. Something special had come to life between them that day, they both knew it, something so much more than a holiday romance. If the goddess of love kept smiling on them, who knew where it could lead?


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note -_

This story was originally written as a one shot - thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed and favourited! I had quite a few people ask me for more, and I had an idea for a new chapter themed around the EAST Alliance on Tumblr, so this update includes some bonus Edith and Anthony. As an S/T writer, I've not really written for these two before so I hope you find my portrayal of the Andith ship rings true for you. As always, I look forward to hearing what you think!

* * *

**About 48 hours later**

Sybil looked at the clock – "Oh bollocks, I'm late."

Tom raised an eyebrow – "I'm meant to be Skyping with my sister in a minute – we usually catch up about this time. I better put some clothes on first!"

"Oh no, Sybil, please – can't you put her off?" He put on the most adorable little boy face, and she almost felt tempted to text Edith and postpone. Looking at him and feeling his hands start to move on her body again, the very last thing she wanted at that moment was to get up – they had barely left the bed for the last two days and she was in no hurry to do so now. But she also didn't want to let her sister down...

"It won't take long – why don't you just chill out in here and I will do it on the balcony."

"OK," he pretended to sulk, meeting her eyes with a look she had come to know over the last couple of days – "I'll be waiting for you."

She stepped out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and jeans – "I'll be back soon – maybe you can get some work done?"

Tom realised she had a point there – he had done no work at all yet on his article, and although he had some time he knew he wanted to get at least a first draft of his article ready by next week, before he had to meet his editor.

He grabbed his iPad and propped himself up against the head of the bed, firing up his dictation app and starting to listen to the discussions he had already had with Sybil to help him frame the article in his mind. But hearing her voice just made him drift away into a daydream so hot, his heart began to race. _I've got two hopes of getting any work done tonight – no hope, and Bob Hope_, he thought. He fought off a yawn, remembering he'd had virtually no sleep for the last two nights, and decided to take a quick nap...

* * *

"So what's your news, Sybil?" Sybil found herself blushing, her skin tingling with the memory of Tom's touch, and shifted in her chair.

Edith could see very clearly there was something out of the ordinary going on for her sister -"Go on, tell!"

Sybil looked down, and then back up - "Well, there's this guy..."

"I knew it! Tell me everything. Come on Anthony, come and listen to this – Sybil's met someone!"

Sybil groaned inwardly – although she got on with her brother in law really well, this was one conversation she would have preferred to keep between her and Edith. However, she also knew that Edith told her husband just about everything anyway, so it didn't really matter whether Anthony heard this story now, or later.

"Where do I begin? He's a writer, he came over to Hawaii to work on an article with me. Did I tell you about that? National Geographic approached me about contributing to an article about turtles and this guy was assigned to write it. Anyway, let's just say we had a bit of a connection..."

Sybil found it hard to say any more – what could she tell her sister about what had happened when she hadn't even made sense of it in her own mind yet? Luckily, Edith knew her well enough to understand what she was driving at, and winked at her.

"You got lucky, then? Good for you, Sybil – it's been too long since you broke up with that guy in Plymouth – what was his name, Tom Bellasis? About time you found someone else to float your boat." Edith's smile was broad as she sat back from the screen, rubbing her belly – she was in her last trimester and the baby was kicking like a Premier League footballer today. Sybil saw her do it and couldn't help smiling in return. Edith and Anthony had been married for three years now and they were getting ready to welcome baby number two – their first child, Edward, was 18 months old now and Sybil's godson.

"How are you doing, sis?"

"Pretty good this time, actually. Remember how sick I was with Edward? Thank God, I've been much better this time – and of course Anthony takes such good care of me, I hardly need to lift a finger."

Anthony tightened his arm around Edith's shoulders, pressing a kiss into her hair – "Anything for you, my love."

Sybil watched as Edith turned to look at her husband, sharing a loving glance with him and touching his cheek – "I'm so lucky to have you, darling."

"Hem, hem!" Sybil pretended to clear her throat - the love Edith and Anthony felt for each other shone through so clearly, even from thousands of miles away. "I would say get a room but it's probably a bit late for that! What's the news from home?"

They chatted about the rest of the Crawley family, and Sybil learned that Matthew had just made partner at his law firm – "That's brilliant! I must send him an email. Maybe he will brief you one day, Anthony?"

Her brother in law, a respected QC, smiled at the thought – "Probably not, Sybil – his area is family law, whereas I'm more on the corporate side of things. Still, you never know, the legal scene in London is pretty small. We might be able to put some business each others' way – after all, we both married Crawley sisters, so we need to stick together!"

After a bit more chat, Sybil felt it was time to wrap up - "Lovely speaking with you both, and stay well, Edith. I'd better go – speak again in a couple of weeks, OK? I've got some papers to mark."

Edith blew a kiss – "Bye, Sybil, love you lots." Anthony waved as he closed down their screen, leaving it blank.

* * *

Sybil came back inside and saw Tom, sprawled on his stomach on the bed, arms flung out, bed covers randomly twisted around his naked body. She almost felt herself let out a purr as she looked at him – his muscular arms and back, his tight arse, his tousled hair... "Mmmmm." She pulled off her clothes and slid back into the bed beside him, running her fingers along his spine, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin before she moved her hand down his side and started to tickle him.

He immediately erupted out of his doze, protesting – "Hey!" Then, he realised where he was and rolled towards her – "Well hello, Dr Crawley – who's been a naughty girl, then? I think you are in big trouble ..." Putting his arm across her body, he flipped her onto her back and was on top of her in a moment, kneeling up and gently pinning her hands above her head with one of his, while his other hand ran slowly down from her lips, to her chin, to her collarbone, and beyond..."I think I have you at my mercy now."

"Well, what are you going to do with me?" Sybil pouted and bit her lower lip, her eyes gleaming as she looked up at him through her long eyelashes.

"I'll have to think about an appropriate punishment, won't I..."

Tom's hand continued its slow journey down her body, trailing across her breasts and teasing her nipples till they were erect and aching. He adored the way she looked but her full, firm breasts in particular made him almost insane with lust – he had already spent more than a couple of hours kissing and caressing them over the last couple of days and he couldn't see any reason not to continue. His hand slipped further down her body, running across her stomach from hipbone to hipbone and feeling her tremble under his touch.

"Ah, you like that, do you Doctor? Perhaps I will give you a bit more, if you ask nicely?"

His fingers moved still lower, brushing against her core, and he heard her gasp. "What was that?"

"Please, Tom..." she moaned, her hips starting to buck under his hand as he began stroking her clit.

"Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you..." he teased, slipping a finger inside her – _God, she was so wet already!_ "Is this what you were asking for?"

"Yes, yes, oh please Tom, you know what I want!" she whispered, naked desire written across her flushed face.

His cock was already rock hard and he wanted to be inside her so much as he let go of her hands and grabbed her around her waist to pull her onto all fours, pulling on a condom quickly. Her ripe arse pressing onto his stomach almost made him come as soon as he entered her but he managed to restrain himself, pushing hard inside her and keeping his fingers moving on her clit, while the other hand pressed onto the bed to hold them steady as he started to thrust into her slick, tight core.

She pushed back against him, deepening his penetration still further. The sensations were overwhelming for both of them now, and they quickened their pace, lost in their private world of mutual desire as the bed started to rock, slamming the headboard against the wall as she took hold of it and braced herself.

Tom could feel Sybil's knees starting to buckle beneath him as her orgasm came close, and he wrapped his other arm around her, lifting her upright against his body, holding her as they moved together towards a climax that was inevitable. She could feel his hard chest and abs against her back, and as she started to come she threw her head back onto his shoulder, her long, wavy hair trailing around them as she screwed her eyes closed and let out a scream – "TOM – OH MY GOD!"

He felt her convulse around him and kept teasing her clit for a few moments more, drawing out her ecstasy to fever pitch in a way he had learned to do with her over the last couple of days. His other arm was tight around her waist, holding their bodies as close together as he could as they knelt on the bed, skin clinging to skin in the tropical air. It didn't take long for him to find himself tumbling into the void with her – "Ahhh, holy feck, Sybil!"

They fell sideways onto the bed, Tom's arms tight around Sybil as he slowly slid out of her, and their breathing started to return to normal. She wriggled around to face him, and put her swollen lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck and aligning her body with his all along its length, wanting to touch him everywhere she could. He tightened his arms around her, running one hand up and down her back slowly as his tongue moved into her mouth, deepening their kiss...

* * *

Wrapped in each others' arms, they fell into an exhausted sleep not long before dawn, limbs entwined, lips within a breath of each other. When Tom awoke after a few hours, he reached out for Sybil and found she wasn't there. He noticed the balcony door was ajar, so he got up and went outside to a sight that made his knees weak. She had obviously woken up earlier and decided to catch some rays as the dawn broke – she was lying in a lounge chair naked, her skin gleaming, her eyes closed as she soaked up the sun.

He didn't say a word, feeling himself growing hard just looking at her as she lifted her hand lazily, running it over her breasts to brush away a buzzing insect. She heard him catch his breath and lifted her head – from the look on his face it was plain to see what was on his mind!

She beckoned him over and he stepped towards the lounge chair, lying down next to her. His lips immediately went to her breasts and Sybil arched her back, lifting herself towards him. She let out a sigh of pleasure as Tom's mouth ravaged her, feeling her whole body light up as the neverending arousal that had become so familiar swept over her again, stronger than ever.

His lips travelled down her body, tasting her skin as he moved over her ribcage and down her stomach, and she found herself holding her breath in excitement as she felt him take possession of her body again. What had come to life between them the moment they met had a life of its own now, and they were nearly helpless before its power. All they could do was ride the tide together, and hope to land safely on the shore afterwards...

His tongue traced a path down to her core, and his hands pushed her legs apart as he settled himself between them, licking and sucking her clit in a way that quickly sent her towards that peak of pleasure she had already reached so many times in the last few days. He felt her hands tangling in his hair and he slipped one hand under her arse, grasping her firmly as his tongue continued to move. He felt her begin to quake against his lips and he knew she was approaching orgasm, fast. First one finger, then another slipped inside her as she began to writhe against him. He felt her start to come, so hard she lifted herself off the chair entirely, twisting and gasping as the sensations he loved to evoke in her raced through her body like a prairie fire...

He stayed where he was for a moment before sliding up the lounge chair and wrapping her in his arms. He could see a tear on her cheek as she looked at him - "Tom, my God, what you do to me..." Tom felt his heart lift and turn over in his chest as he stared deep into Sybil's beautiful eyes. He knew in that moment that the overwhelming desire which had begun for them both the moment he had knocked on her door had bloomed into so much more ...

"Sybil – I have to tell you – I think I'm in love with you. I know it's totally crazy, and we hardly know each other. All I know is that the last three days we've spent together have been the most amazing days of my life, and not just for the phenomenal sex! We've talked so much too, I can't remember the last time I talked to anyone like that, and there is just something about you that seems to fit with me, you know? I want so, so much more with you... something real, something that might last." He broke off, unable to read her emotions from her face – did she think he was nuts, saying this so quickly?

"Tom, darling, darling, Tom – oh I feel the same way! I think I love you too, and I want this to be something real – not just a one night stand... well, three nights actually..." Another tear stole down her cheek as he pulled her face towards him, and their lips met in a kiss that let them say what they could not quite find the words for, not just yet ...

* * *

_A/N -_

I think there may be a bit more to come of this story... love to hear what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note -_

Thank you so much to everyone who has read/followed/reviewed/favourited the story so far! I really love to hear from you - please do keep telling me what you think, it really inspires me!

With the start of s4 a few hours ago, I had a strong desire to bring our lovely couple back to this Hawaiian AU for some fluffy, sexy fun, as far away from Downton Abbey as possible!

* * *

**Two days later**

Sybil came in her front door, shaking back her wet hair. Her morning dive had been exhilarating, but she found that her thoughts kept drifting away from the warm ocean around Hawaii to a location far less tropical – Washington, DC, the headquarters of a certain well known magazine…

She checked her watch – _He'd still be at work now, I might just catch him_ – and opened up her laptop, clicking on her Skype icon and selecting a name from her contact list. While it rang, she got ready to reconnect…

"Tom, you with me mate? Geez, you've been pretty bloody distracted since you got back from Hawaii – did anything happen over there?"

Tom grinned at his boss's Australian directness – _Larry, the most important thing of my entire life happened! _– and made the effort to snap out of his daydream of Sybil, one of several he had already had that day. She had ruined his concentration – since he got home a couple of days before, he had barely been able to think of anything but her, and he knew his work was suffering.

"I need a draft of that article on my desk pronto, Tom – it was due on Tuesday. You don't normally miss deadlines."

"I know, Larry – sorry about that. Jetlag, I guess? Don't worry, I'll have it with you before breakfast tomorrow."

Larry quirked an eyebrow at him as he walked away – "See that you do, you lazy sod. Deadline for this month's issue is Friday – if I haven't signed it off by then, I'll be bumping it, and who knows when it will make it back onto the bloody radar if that happens. Do you really want to miss your first cover story?"

Tom knew he was skating on thin ice – Larry would forgive him once, but he didn't want to risk asking him twice. He turned back to his desk with a sigh, and was just about to open up the draft of his article again when a Skype call alert popped up on his screen, from a contact name that sent his heart racing…

"Hello – Tom?"

"Sybil, God, it's so good to see you. I miss you so much!" Tom hunched over his screen, having to stop himself from reaching out to touch her face on the screen, the face he had been dreaming about every night since he had met her less than a week before.

"Me too, darling – I can't stop thinking about you, I just had to call you."

"I'm so glad you did. It seems like forever since I left you at Kona …"

They were both silent for a moment, remembering their farewell at the little open air airport on the Big Island the day before yesterday. Sybil had openly wept as she said goodbye, and Tom's eyes were wet as well as he clung to her, unwilling to let her go. Their last kiss had been so full of love and passion, totally heedless of the fact that they were in a public place, that his lips were still tingling from it an hour later, when he settled into his seat on the plane back to Washington.

He could still feel her soft skin beneath his fingertips, smell the scent of her hair, see her beautiful eyes everywhere he looked, hear her voice calling his name as she came, over and over again, beneath him…

_How did this even happen! I was coasting along quite happily, a bit of a player, enough success with women so that I never had to be lonely but without committing to or caring that much for anyone. Suddenly, I meet this girl and my heart is totally lost, the moment I set eyes on her… What the feck do I do now!_

"So, what have you been doing since I left?"

"Catching up on work, mainly. This morning I went out for the most amazing dive – we visited a spot where the turtles love to rest, and there were about eight of them there, it was brilliant. How about you?"

"The same – I'm running late with my article, my boss is breathing down my neck to get it finished. It's nearly ready I think…"

His eyes wandered to the picture file that accompanied the article. One photo was already the screen saver on his phone, the one of Sybil at their first dinner together, with the setting sun glowing on her face. She was smiling like an angel into the camera, so lovely it made his heart break a little every time he looked at her, particularly when he remembered – _We_ _hadn't even kissed yet when I took this, but I can already see something in her eyes, a promise of things to come maybe…_

"I'm happy to hear it, love – can't wait to read it when it comes out. So Tom – will you do me a favour? Can you check to see if anyone is behind you?"

"Only the window, Sybil – why?"

She smiled – "I've got a surprise for you…put your headphones on…" and Tom's jaw dropped as she moved back slowly, revealing her naked body to his hungry eyes.

Tom found he had difficulty swallowing as he watched her hands running across her breasts, while she murmured to him of how she remembered the way his lips felt doing the same thing. She stood up a little and the camera moved to her flat stomach, before heading even further down…

"Tom, can you see? God, I wish you were here, doing this to me right now," she whispered. Tom saw that her hand was between her legs, stroking her clit. He couldn't see her face but he could imagine it – blue-grey eyes closed, breath ragged, luscious bottom lip trapped between her teeth, cheeks flushed with the rosy glow of arousal…

He felt his own trousers getting much too tight – "Damn you Sybil – what you do to me, my God…" he whispered back…

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his colleague from the picture desk approaching – she was holding something in her hand. Clearly she had decided that now was the perfect time to talk to him about the images for his article… _Shit – what do I do?_

He said to Sybil – "Be right back, someone's coming over" – and clicked his screen down, putting an inane grin on his face.

"What's up, Tom? You look as if you've seen … I don't really know what, actually."

_Just as well you don't know!_ "What can I do for you, Edna?"

He managed to deal with her enquiry in fairly short order, and as she was walking away he clicked his screen back up, but it had gone dark – he'd cut off their connection by mistake. Then, his phone beeped -

_To be continued…. xxx_

He read her message and realised that he was kidding himself – he could not wait till next month to see her again, as they had planned. He fired up his browser - he had a few things to research…

* * *

Sybil picked up her coffee – her espresso had gone cold, she'd been so engrossed in what she was doing. She was reaching for her bag to head to the cafeteria to get another one, when she heard a knock on her door – "Come in!"

The door opened, to reveal a totally unexpected, but oh so welcome sight – Tom was there! He came into her office, pushing the door shut behind him, and walked straight over to her behind the desk. Without speaking, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, and their lips met in a kiss that felt like coming home for both of them…

After several minutes, she slowly broke away from him, sighing. Her eyes searched his face – "Love, what are you doing here? I thought we agreed to meet up again in a couple of weeks?"

He put his hand up to her cheek – "Darling, after yesterday, I knew I couldn't wait that long. I got on the red eye flight last night after I sent the draft of my article in and came straight here."

"Oh Tom, I am so glad you did! I missed you so much… "

He stopped her mouth with another kiss, even longer and deeper than the last. His tongue pushed through her lips and his hands slid up her back under her t-shirt, caressing her skin. He heard her moan quietly into his mouth as she wriggled in his arms to get as close as she could to him.

This time, it was Tom who reluctantly pulled back from Sybil. Her face was flushed and he could hear that catch in her breathing which told him she wanted more – now. He pushed her back down into her chair and crouched down under her desk, pushing her legs apart and sliding his hands up under her faded denim skirt, pulling her knickers off.

She realised what he was going to do and hesitated for about two seconds – _What if someone comes in? Oh, fuck it!_ – before sliding back into her chair, letting her legs fall apart to welcome him back to a place he had come to know well…

He took his time with her now, drawing out the exquisite pleasure he knew how to give her. He slowly slid his hands up her inner thighs, just brushing his thumb across her core, already wet for him, but not yet touching her where she was longing to be touched…

"Oh Tom," she breathed, eyes closed, sliding still further down in her chair as her hands wandered across her stomach, which was now exposed as her t-shirt was pushed up by the chair back.

He couldn't wait any longer – he moved his mouth up to the top of her legs, sliding his tongue in to find her clit. He pushed a finger inside her and began to caress her in a way that he knew she would not be able to resist, however hard she tried. It did not take him long to bring her to the very brink of oblivion - he held her there, teasing her, leading her almost to the edge, again and again, without letting her fall…

"Tom, please darling, oh please!" she begged, not realising there was someone knocking at her office door….

"Sybil? It's me, Dr Clarkson. Can I come in?" Sybil realised with horror that the door was slowly opening as her supervisor came into the room, just as Tom was taking her to a climax so intense, her whole body began to shake and she had to put her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream….

"Sybil, are you all right?"

Her face was flushed – in any other circumstances she would be incapable of speech for several minutes as the aftershocks of orgasm raced through her body. She could feel Tom hadn't moved from between her legs, and she prayed he would realise that now was not the time for an encore…

"Yes, hi Dr Clarkson, how are you today?" She sat up in her chair and tried to act as if she was fully engaged in their conversation, despite the sensations rocketing through her body draining any semblance of intelligent thought from her mind.

"Fine – do you have a minute to talk about our presentation to the Academic Board next week?"

"Umm, now's not the greatest…. TIME!" _Fuck, oh fuck – what is he doing to me?_ Sybil could feel that Tom's mouth was still lingering on her, and he was starting to circle his tongue on her swollen clit again, causing a feeling that she wanted nothing more than to give herself up to…

"Would it be OK if we caught up a little later? I just wanted to finish my notes from the dive yesterday, while they are still fresh in my … miiind."

Her voice quavered on the last word, which made Dr Clarkson look at her, quite concerned – "I'm worried about you Sybil – you seem very flushed. Maybe you are coming down with something?"

_Not so much coming down, as going down…. _"I'm fine, thanks Dr Clarkson – it's just a little warm in here… I'll call you after lunch."

"OK, Sybil, Let's speak then. Bye now!" He gave her a friendly wave as he closed the door behind him – "Maybe she's working too hard, she didn't look at all well…."

Sybil pushed herself back from the desk, looking at where Tom was sitting, smiling as if he were nothing but an innocent schoolboy. She grabbed his hands – "Come out of there, now!"

He smiled at her - he could tell that in spite of everything that had just happened, she was only pretending to be angry at him for taking his revenge for her Skype surprise yesterday …

Her knees were trembling – "Tom, give me a minute – I seem to have lost all feeling in my legs," she twinkled at him. He came out from under her desk, still crouching down so that their faces were level, and stared into her eyes.

"Darling, did I ever tell you how beautiful you are? I've had your face in my mind every minute since we've been apart." His blue eyes burned into hers with a gaze so intense, she felt scalded by it. "Sybil, I love you so much. I've been completely overwhelmed by these feelings, and having to leave you the other day was sheer fecking agony. I've been no use to man or beast ever since."

Sybil felt herself welling up, and her throat seemed to be swelling shut as she looked at him – "Oh sweetheart, me too, so much. It was awful, being away from you. I couldn't sleep, couldn't think straight…"

He folded her into his arms and they hugged each other tightly, his hands stroking the long waves of her hair. "Can I take you out for a walk? I want to be alone with you, my love. Don't you have a beach behind your house?"

"Yes, sure – let's go."

He stood up and held out his hands to her, pulling her to her feet. She knew she needed to call Dr Clarkson back – _Oh well, I'll make up an excuse later – _and they headed out of the university building hand in hand. It didn't take them long to walk to her local beach on the outskirts of Hilo, which was only small and which she normally had to herself.

Today was no exception - it was totally deserted. As they stepped out onto the sand, Sybil kicked off her shoes, loving the feel of the sand between her toes. She turned towards Tom – the look on his face caught her by surprise as, to her amazement, he knelt down on the sand….

Colour raced up her face as he took her hand – "Darling, I know it's crazy – we only met a week ago, but I already know I can't live without you, and quite frankly I don't want to try. I love you so very much, and I'll love you until I die, more every day. I promise to devote every waking minute to your happiness, if you'll let me. Sybil, will you marry me?"

She looked into his eyes – she knew he was totally sincere, and could see that he was hanging on her answer. She pulled him up to his feet, and put her arms around his neck –

"Tom, oh my love, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I'll marry you…" He didn't let her say any more, crashing his lips onto hers and kissing her till they were both breathless. _So this is what love feels like_, he thought as he closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her….

Then, he gestured to a local man who had been waiting behind a tree, with a stole around his neck and with a book in his hand. He was accompanied by a smiling woman, who was carrying a single red hibiscus, and a young man who was looking rather nervous, pulling at his collar which seemed to be too tight.

"Sybil, I know it's fast, but how would you like to get married now? Mr Hailama is a celebrant and we can do it right here, if you want. His wife and son can be our witnesses."

Her first thought was - _I never thought I would get married without any knickers on!_ She smiled a huge smile that almost split her face - "Oh Tom, that would be just perfect!"

He returned her smile - _Could this girl be any more wonderful! -_ and took the hibiscus from the celebrant's wife, tucking it behind Sybil's left ear. She put her hand up to it - "Do you know the Hawaiian hibiscus tradition, sweetheart? Behind the left ear means - 'taken'. You got that right - there will never be anyone else for me but you, I promise."

Tom couldn't speak - he was so filled with emotion as he looked into her eyes... "Mr Hailama - we're ready…"

The celebrant asked them to join hands, and spoke a few words about the serious nature of the commitment they were about to enter into. He asked them if they were ready to proceed, and they nodded -

"Tom, do you take Sybil to be your wife? Will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?

"I will." Tom squeezed Sybil's hand as she made the same promise, her voice breaking on the words.

"Is there a ring?"

Tom reached into his pocket, pulling out a claddagh ring - "Yes, this was my grandmother's."

"May this ring be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may live joyously together, and continue in love all their lives… Tom, repeat after me - Sybil, with this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment to each other."

Tom repeated the words, his eyes never leaving Sybil's as he slid the ring onto her left ring finger, the crowned heart pointing inwards.

"Sybil and Tom, you have vowed and consented before these witnesses to share your lives in marriage, and exchanged a ring to mark that commitment. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the State of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss…"

The celebrant's voice tailed away - the newlyweds were already fathoms deep in each others' arms, kissing as if they were alone in the world. He smiled and signed the marriage certificate, putting it into an envelope which he dropped on the sand beside the oblivious young couple. He took his wife's arm, and as they walked away with their son trailing behind, he mused - "You know, Leilani, I've married many couples and I have a good feeling about those two - something tells me they are going to make it…"

Sybil felt like shouting aloud, her joy was so overwhelming. She pulled back from Tom, pulling her t-shirt over her head, unbuttoning her skirt and unfastening her bra, dropping everything on the sand - "Coming, Mr Branson?"

He watched his wife as she ran to the ocean, and quickly dropped his own clothes - "Right behind you, Mrs Branson!" He took her hand as they splashed into the Pacific Ocean and stood waist deep in the water. They came together to seal a promise, kissing like teenagers, arms wrapped around each other - somehow, for now, that was everything they both wanted, and they knew they had a lifetime ahead for more….

* * *

_A/N -_

I think there is at least one more chapter to come here... I have to give them a honeymoon, right? ;)


End file.
